Lasagna Casserole

This lasagna casserole is a no-fuss, simple dinner recipe the whole family will love! It combines penne pasta in layers of creamy ricotta, mozzarella cheese, and the most unforgettable meat sauce. Every part is delicious, and you'll be able to enjoy the best flavors of classic lasagna in a fraction of the time!

The Best Lasagna Casserole

This lazy lasagna casserole is the best deconstructed lasagna recipe out there. Unlike traditional lasagna, this lasagna casserole recipe only takes 15 minutes to prepare!

Even though it's way easier to make, it still has all of that saucy, meaty, and cheesy goodness as regular lasagna. I think it's even better than the regular kind!

This lazy lasagna casserole is one of my favorite easy dinner recipes to make for my family. Especially on a busy weeknight since it's so low maintenance yet so delicious. 

Since this lasagna casserole is so good, it easily takes center stage at any dinner. With that said, you can make the meal even better by pairing it with this La Scala chopped salad and these Olive Garden breadsticks to soak up that delicious meat sauce.

Why This Recipe Works

Crowd favorite. This lasagna casserole recipe is the perfect thing to make for a crowd because you can double or triple it. Just use a larger baking dish! Trust me, you can never have too much of this lasagna, it's always a crowd-pleaser.

Easy to make. The best part about this lasagna casserole is it's a loose-form lasagna recipe that doesn't even use lasagna noodles. All you have to do is combine the ingredients and bake. It's foolproof!

The ultimate comfort food meal. This lazy lasagna casserole recipe makes a hearty, comforting lasagna casserole with the perfect ratio of meaty, cheesy goodness and tender pasta. It's one of my favorite lasagna recipes, right next to my breakfast lasagna!

Ingredients

Another reason to love this lasagna casserole is the ingredients are all quite simple. You probably have some of them in your kitchen already since they're pantry staples.

Check out what you need to make lazy lasagna casserole:

• 10 oz. penne pasta, cooked
• 1 lb. ground beef
• ½ cup medium onion, diced
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup shredded cheese mix
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• Salt and pepper

If you have these ingredients, you almost have everything you need to make my spaghetti casserole, so you'll definitely want to try that easy recipe next! 

How To Make Lasagna Casserole  

1. Prepare: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease an 8x8-inch or 9x13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.

2. Cook the beef and onion: Add the ground beef and onion to a large skillet set over medium heat. Break the ground beef apart and cook until it's browned on all sides.

3. Make meat pasta sauce: Stir in the tomato sauce and tomato paste, and season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked pasta to the tomato beef sauce and mix again. Set it aside while you make the creamy ricotta mixture.

4. Make cheese mixture: In a separate bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, and Italian seasoning. Mix well until everything combines and you have a smooth ricotta mixture. 

5. Assemble the casserole: Transfer the beef pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish and spoon dollops of the ricotta mixture evenly over the pasta. Stir well until everything just combines.

6. Bake and serve: Cover the casserole with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle with the mix of shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for another 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Let cool for 5 minutes, then slice and serve. Enjoy!

Tips To Make The Best Recipe

• Lighten up this dish by using ground chicken, ground turkey, or lean ground beef and part-skim ricotta cheese instead of whole milk ricotta.
• Use cottage cheese instead of ricotta cheese to add more protein to the casserole.
• Feel free to use any spaghetti sauce or marinara sauce instead of tomato sauce for this recipe.
• Try using different pasta like rigatoni, spiral noodles, ziti noodles, elbow macaroni, or fusilli pasta. 
• Top the casserole with red pepper flakes for a little spice.

How To Store Lasagna Casserole

In the fridge: Wrap the baking dish tightly in plastic wrap and a layer of foil, or store any leftover lasagna casserole in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

In the freezer: Transfer individual portions of the casserole to a freezer-safe bag or container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Reheating: To reheat leftovers, bake them at 350°F for about 15 minutes until heated through. You can also microwave them in 30-second increments until warmed. Let the frozen leftovers thaw in the fridge overnight before baking, or add more cooking time.

FAQs About This Lasagna Casserole Recipe

What's the difference between lasagna and lasagna casserole?

Lasagna has the classic lasagna noodles, while this lasagna casserole uses penne pasta. The layers in traditional lasagna are also very distinguishable. This casserole recipe combines all the ingredients into one big baking dish instead of layering them.

How many layers is lasagna supposed to have?

Lasagna typically has 3-5 layers depending on the pan size. With this simple lasagna casserole recipe, you can avoid the stress of layering the lasagna by mixing everything together and still enjoying the delicious classic lasagna flavor.

What should be the last layer of lasagna?

Whether you choose to end your lasagna with a layer of noodles or extra sauce, the very last layer of the lasagna should be the shredded cheese on top.

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